Child's Play 2
by egbkid
Summary: The continuing saga of Logan, Max and McKenzie.
1. Default Chapter

This is the first instalment of Part two of Child's Play. Once again, I own nothing but the plot and maybe a few minor characters, I am but a poor Canadian, please do not sue me. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as the first one! I'm not sure if I got the holiday right, in Canada we call it Remembrance Day, but I'm not sure if it's Veteran's Day or Memorial Day in the USA.   
-egbkid  
  
"Tell me why are we, so blind to see  
That the ones we hurt, are you and me?"  
  
Logan sat staring out the window into the rain, thinking about everything. Behind him, the penthouse was decorated for the birthday party to come in the morning. Max had just taken a very excited McKenzie to bed. After he had kissed her goodnight, he just stopped and started to think.  
'I do this a lot.' Thinking of all the times he actually did this. When he had first met Max. When Max had to leave for Canada for her own safety. When she had given up on his 'mission' and told him to stuff it. After Max had given him blood to help him walk again, and it wore off, so to speak. When Max had gone after her brother Ben, and then later her sister Tinga. And when he found out Max's daughter, McKenzie, had inherited her tendency to think in high places, like the roof of his uncle's cabin.  
'Every time I sit here and think, looking at the rain, it seems to have something to do with Max.' he thought. 'And here I am again. Thinking of Max.'  
A year ago, on the eve of McKenzie's seventh birthday, Logan had proposed to Max. After the party the next day, she refused and disappeared for two days, worrying Logan and McKenzie. When she came back, she never spoke of it, so neither did he. He figured she might have thought he had done it because he thought he had to. Because of McKenzie. But that wasn't the reason. He loved Max, and he knew she loved him. They were the perfect family, but she was afraid to admit it.   
Now it was McKenzie's eighth birthday. 'In two months, it'll be yours.' Logan thought. November 11, 2028. His fortieth birthday. "Forty years, and what have I done?"  
"You helped create one of the most beautiful little girls ever, if that's a start."  
"Max!" Logan said, turning. He hadn't realized he had spoken out loud, and she had scared him, coming up like that. Max sat down in a chair opposite Logan.  
"Forty years, huh? That's a long time."  
"Thanks."  
"We ought to have a party." Max said, looking around the decorated room.  
"No, we ought not to. I haven't had a birthday party since I was McKenzie's age. And then it was only the social event of the month, to go along with Memorial Day."  
"What is Memorial Day?"  
"A day in which we remembered the people who died in the World Wars. It was called Remembrance Day in Canada. The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month…"  
"In the year eleven-eleven?" Max interrupted, smiling.  
"No. Whatever. It's also my birthday. And this year, it's my fortieth birthday. 'The big 4-0' as they used to say."  
"So? I'll be thirty in two years, see me complaining? What's wrong with turning an age with a zero in it? God, I saw someone moaning over turning fifty a few weeks ago…"  
"You don't understand." Logan said, turning away from her.  
"What don't I understand? It's McKenzie's birthday, and she's all excited, but when you realize your birthday is rolling around, you get all depressed! If that's what it's like to be 100% human, I want no part in it!"   
"Max, you feel that way because you've never had many birthdays. Wait until you're forty and realize you haven't done anything with your life, then see how you feel."  
"Haven't done anything with your life! What about Eyes..." Max was interrupted by a loud scream coming from down the hall.  
"MaaaaMaaaaa! PaaaaPaaaaaa! HelllPPP!!!!"  
  
To be continued...  



	2. Peeping Tom

Here's more, a little short, hope you enjoy it!  
-egbkid  
  
Max turned and ran so fast, that Logan barely saw her. He followed as quickly as possible. When he got to the room, he saw Max sitting on McKenzie's bed, the child in her arms. Logan approached them, and noticed McKenzie was crying harder than he had ever seen her cry before, including her first night when he couldn't get her to stop crying.   
"McKenzie, baby, what's wrong?" he asked, putting a hand on her head.   
"Papa, there was someone at the window, he was trying to get in!" Max got up from the bed and went to check out the window, while Logan pulled McKenzie onto his lap.   
"Are you sure, baby, we're pretty high up. Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"  
"No, it wasn't a dream. I was listening to you and Mama talk, when I heard noise at the window. I looked and there was a man trying to get in."  
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Max asked, coming back and sitting on the bed.  
"He was wearing black, and had blond hair. Like Kendra's, only shorter and a bit darker. When I screamed, he jumped backwards and disappeared."  
"Why don't you go to sleep now, honey. Tomorrow's a big day for you. You'll be alright, the way you screamed, I doubt he will come back, and there's nobody there now."  
"Are you sure, Mama?" McKenzie asked, crawling to the head of her bed.  
"Yes, I'm sure. Now, let's get you tucked in again, and you have to sleep, or else you'll fall asleep during your party. I don't think your guests will enjoy that!"  
"You're right." She crawled under the blankets and snuggled into her pillow. While Max tucked her in, Logan went over to one of the shelves and got a stuffed bunny that Bling had bought her when she was a baby. He gave it to McKenzie, who hugged it tightly.  
"Are you ok now, baby?" he asked.  
"Yes, Papa, I'll be okay." She let out a huge yawn, so Max and Logan decided it was time to leave the room. Back in the living room, Max immediately sat down in a chair and faced Logan.  
"I know who it was." She said, putting her head in her hands.  
"Who? It couldn't have been Lydecker. We haven't heard of him in years, and he wouldn't have had the capabilities to get this high and just 'jump backwards' like McKenzie said he did."  
"It was Zack."  
"Zack? Why would he be spying on McKenzie?"  
"When I was in Portland, he came to me. He said he had seen me when I had been in LA. I was showing when I was in LA. He knew I was pregnant, and he wanted to know where the baby was. I told him I had had a miscarriage, and didn't want to talk about it, but I don't think he believed me. He said he just wanted the child to be safe, especially from you, he said. What he had against you, I don't know, but he didn't push the subject any further. I guess he didn't think you were the father and would flip out. I don't know, I just didn't want him to know about McKenzie and me leaving her with you in case he tried something like this."   
"But what would Zack do with McKenzie? He has no way to take care of a child."  
"God knows. He would probably train her to be like him, a stiff. Well, he shouldn't come back tonight, not after she screamed the way she did. You should get some sleep, or else you'll be falling asleep at the party as well."  
"Yeah." Logan went down the hall to his bedroom, stopping to check on McKenzie on his way by. She was sleeping soundly. Before going into his room, he turned and looked down the hall at Max. She stood in almost the same spot he had been before, looking at the rain and thinking. "Max." he whispered. He wanted to propose to her again, but didn't have the nerve, in case she took off again, and this time taking McKenzie with her.   
'Things will look better in the morning.' Logan thought, before falling asleep.  
  
To be continued...  
  
  



	3. Gone

  
Here's chapter three, hope you enjoy it. Sorry it took so long for this part, I've been a little busy.  
(re-posted, two words were deleted)  
-egbkid  
  
Logan woke up and rolled over, the sun was directly in his eyes. 'Beautiful day for a party' he thought, sitting up. Looking at his alarm clock, he noticed it was after eight. He was surprised that McKenzie hadn't been in waking him up earlier, she had been so excited the night before. Logan decided to get up rather than lay around, McKenzie's party was at eleven, and there was still all the food to take care of. He quickly showered and dressed, then left his room. Passing Max's room, Logan noticed she was sleeping. He wondered what time she had gotten to bed the night before, usually she was out quite late, but last night she had stayed in, and today she had taken the day off work for the party, although Normal hadn't thought it was a good excuse.  
Logan continued down the hall to McKenzie's room. She had wanted to help with the food preparation, so he decided to wake her up. He opened the door to her room, and noticed she wasn't n her bed, but he wasn't concerned, because this happened often. Leaving the room, Logan went down the hall to the kitchen. She wasn't there either, so he figured she was either in the bathroom, or somewhere thinking.   
He went over to the refrigerator, deciding to start breakfast. If he started some bacon, it would get both Max and McKenzie into the kitchen. As soon as it was cooking, Logan started cracking eggs for omelettes. Just as he was throwing the egg mixture on the pan, Max came up behind him.   
"Morning, where's McKenzie?" she asked, picking up a fork to turn the bacon.  
"I don't know, she was already up, she might be in the living room, admiring her decorations again."  
"Ok, I'll go check." She left Logan turning the eggs and going over his mental list of what to make for the party. She came back about five minutes later.  
"Are you sure McKenzie wasn't in her bed, because she's not in the living room, and I checked everywhere else, I can't find her."  
"Are you sure?" Logan asked, turning away from the stove.  
"Yes, I checked everywhere, I can't find her." Max's voice was starting to sound panicky, something Logan had never heard before. "I know, I'll check the roof, she likes going up there sometimes."  
"Yeah, good idea." Logan said, going down the hall to McKenzie's bedroom. The bed was empty. He searched the entire room for any signs as to where she could have gone. Her bed was a mess, it had been slept in, he noticed no clothes were missing from her closet, neither was her jacket. Her stuffed rabbit he had given her the night before was still sitting on the bed. He was about to go over to the window when the smoke alarm went off, Logan quickly hurried back to the kitchen where he had forgotten the breakfast. Turning everything off, Logan threw the burnt frying pans in the sink, then went down the hall to his office. Sometimes McKenzie liked to hide out there.  
"McKenzie, baby, are you in here?" he called. There was no answer. Suddenly Max was behind him.   
"Logan, I know where she is!"  
  
To Be Continued...  
  



	4. "We won't stop until we find her..."

Part four is a little short, and sad. Thanks for all the great reviews, I'm glad you're all enjoying this.  
-egbkid  
  
  
Logan sat as Max paced in front of him, in her hand was a piece of torn coloring book with a quick note written on it in a red marker, both from McKenzie's room. Max had found the note and the marker on the roof.  
"What does it say?" Logan asked, putting a hand on Max's arm to stop her.  
"It says 'I have the child. I won't hurt her, I just want her to be safe, and she can't be safe here with you. I have evidence of them closing in on Seattle, and they may know you have a child. They would easily capture her, so I have decided to take her with me to keep her safe. It would do you good to go back to Portland; they never knew you were there. You will see your daughter again, but for now, don't try to find us.  
Zack.'   
Why, Zack? Why did you have to take her? You could have just warned me!" Max cried, tearing away from Logan's grip and pacing again.   
"I have to go after them! I can't let him do this!"  
"Max! How are you going to find Zack? He probably had McKenzie an hour after we were asleep, and is probably half way to Canada by now, if that's the way he took her. He could have taken her anywhere in this country, we don't know..."  
"LOGAN! Don't you think I know that? Zack is best out of all of us for hiding! What are we going to do?"  
"There's only one thing we can do at the moment. If this was twenty years ago, it would be to call the police. But for now, all we have in Eyes Only. I'll send a message out. I can't put it across America anymore, but I can at least get to Oregon and Idaho. If he hasn't left those states yet, maybe someone will see them."  
"Yeah, and do what?"  
"I have contacts in almost every town and city in both states, maybe one of them will answer me."  
"It's not going to work. There's nothing we can do but try to go after them." Max stopped directly in front of Logan, she stood with her hands on her hips. Logan could tell she was very upset, but didn't want to show it as crying. Instead, she showed anger, so he showed anger back.  
"Work with me, Max! Can you honestly think of something better to do at this exact moment? The longer we discuss this, the farther away Zack gets with McKenzie. God knows what kind of excuse he gave her as to where we are! This is the only thing we can do at the moment, and I'm going to do it."  
He turned to his computer and started turning things on. Max's reflection in the monitor turned and leaned it's back against the doorframe, arms crossed, angry at the fact that Logan yelled.  
Once the transmission was done, Logan turned back to Max. She now was squatted down on the floor, arms crossed and resting on her legs, tears streaming down her face. Logan approached her, and she glanced up at him, wanting the tears to stop, but unable to make them.  
"It's ok, Max." Logan said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok to cry. We'll get McKenzie back. I promise." He drew Max into a hug. "We won't stop until we find her..."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. +6

I'm sorry that's it's taken four days to get this really short part up, but I'm gonna have the next part up today as well, hopefully.  
  
'It's been six years. Six long and lonely years. She would be thirteen today. We should be celebrating her becoming a teenager, but we aren't because of Zack!' Logan sat once again staring out the window into the rain. He was thinking about McKenzie. Six years ago today, she disappeared. Max's brother Zack took her. Logan promised Max they would never stop looking, and they hadn't. But they had never found her either. Nor was there any word from Zack. About six months after she disappeared, Max couldn't take the pressure, so she moved back in with Original Cindy. She still visited almost every day, but they did not have the same type of relationship as they had before.   
Logan turned and went into McKenzie's bedroom. Everything was the way it was the day she left. Even her bed remained unmade, as if she had just gotten up. The only change was a photograph taken a few days before her eighth birthday. Up until she disappeared, Logan had her picture taken by a professional every year. He picked up the picture form the nightstand and stared at it. Those eyes. Max's eyes. They had haunted him from the day he first saw them, over thirteen years ago. And they were in his nightmares every night since that day six years ago.   
"Zack, why did you do this to us?" Logan asked no one in particular. "You took our baby, our life." He started crying, tears falling on the glass. He heard footsteps behind him but didn't look away from the picture. Max came in and sat on McKenzie's unmade bed, she took the picture from Logan and hugged it.   
"Yes, Zack, why? How could you do this to us?" She kissed the picture lightly, on McKenzie's forehead. "We'll find you someday, baby. I promise, just hold on."  
"Max..."  
"I know, Logan. It's been six years. Do you still want to do it?"  
"Yes. No matter what, we can't stop."  
"Let's go." They went to the computer room together, and Logan started booting up the computer equipment.   
"I can't get outside the state this time, Max, it may not help."  
"It could. We don't know."  
"Alright, let's do this." He turned to the computer and took off his glasses.  
"Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a Streaming Freedom Video Bulletin. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped, and it is the only free voice in this state. Six years ago today, McKenzie Alexandria Cale disappeared. She was taken from her bed and has never been seen again. Her parents miss her very much, and want her back. If anyone has seen any sign of her please call the number on your screen. It is an untraceable number, no questions will be asked of how you obtained the information, we just want to safely bring McKenzie home. This has been a Streaming Freedom Video Bulletin via the Eyes Only Informant Net. Peace. Out."  
Logan turned back to Max, who had tears streaming down her face again. "Maybe it will work this time."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  



	6. Message

:-) Short, but sweet info...  
  
"Nope...Nope...No...Wait..." Logan sat listening to all the messages that were on the informant line. It was the same every year, they got a lot of prank calls, people just showing off. A few people honestly thought they had seen McKenzie, but none of the leads went anywhere. But he had just listened to one that was different. He rewound the message and played it back.   
"Um...Uh...well, this is strange. I wasn't expecting to make a phone call to someone like you. Anyway. I was visiting this town, down near Mexico, and I remember meeting this beautiful little girl. She was about twelve, and she seemed happy, but her aunt kept her close, and wouldn't let her talk to any strangers. Of course this my not be strange, but it's the way she protected her compared to her own child. About a week into my visit, I managed to talk to the little girl, and she said she had lived with her aunt for her whole life, had never met her parents. At that time, she asked me where I was from, and I told her a city called Seattle. She told me she recognized that name, and perhaps she had visited before, she talked as though she had grown up elsewhere, she didn't really talk the same slang as everyone else, seemed more cultured, but she swore she had been born there, that her mother had gone away when she was a month old, and was told her father didn't care. She asked to know more about Seattle, so I started to talk about it. As we talked, an uncle that was visiting came and told her she had to go home. She said, 'But Uncle Zack, she is telling me about the city she comes from. It is called Seattle.' He then seemed to grow angry, and made her go inside to play with her cousin. After she left, he told me to stay away from her, and never say anything about Seattle. I thought this was strange, but I barely saw her again. The day I got back to Seattle, I saw your message about that little Cale girl gone missing six years ago, and I noticed the resemblance between the pictures and the girl I had met. The town I was staying in had no name; it was just a small one with less than a hundred people. I was only there because I have a sister who moved there just before the Pulse. I hope this information is helpful to you, and I hope you can find the little Cale girl."  
Logan turned off the machine, not bothering to listen to the other messages. He then picked up the phone and dialled.   
"Max, what's the closest city to where Jace is living?"  
  
To Be Continued...  



	7. Decisions

Here's the next part. Hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for all the great reviews!!  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Bling asked. Logan and Max had called all their friends in hopes of some kind of help.   
"There's not much we can do. If the woman who called you is right, then McKenzie remembers absolutely nothing about her life here, which is strange, because we usually remember things about when we are eight."   
"I know, Matt, so why doesn't she remember anything?" asked Logan, running his hands through his hair.  
"Zack probably brainwashed her, that's why. And for some reason Jace is going along with it." Max pounded her fists on the dining room table, then got up and walked into the kitchen. Original Cindy followed her.  
"One of us is going to have to go check things out. See what's going on, who knows what about McKenzie. It's a small town, word travels faster than wildfires."  
"Logan's right, but who?" Bling stood up and walked over to the window. "Zack would recognize you and Max immediately, and he knows Cindy and me."  
"That leaves me." Matt said. "I don't think he's ever met me, but what about McKenzie. Rory and her were quite close. She would recognize me."  
"Maybe not." Bling said, sitting back down. "If she doesn't remember Seattle, then she surely wouldn't remember you."  
"Sometimes seeing someone or something will trigger memories, like when a person has amnesia. Their memories can suddenly come back just by hearing a word, or smelling something like baking bread. If seeing Matt triggers her memories, it would cause a lot of trouble."  
"Is there anyone else we know who could go?" Matt asked as Max and Cindy came back into the room.  
"Zack knows all my friends."  
"And there's no one else I know who could be trusted enough."  
"We could send Rory." Original Cindy suggested. "He was just a kid when our little boo last saw him, and if Zack don't know you, he wouldn't know him. He's almost twenty now, isn't he?"  
"Yes. We could send him. I trust him enough, and he knows enough about what is going on. He was thirteen when they last saw each other. He's changed a lot since then. Can you ask him if he would like to go, Matt?"  
"Alright, but I'll hold back on al the details until he agrees to go. I'll just tell him we may have found McKenzie and we need his help to check things out."  
"If he agrees, send him over, I'll fill him in and get everything he needs for the trip."  
"Alright."   
After everyone left, Logan sat looking out the window again. As the sun set, he thought of how close they were to finally finding McKenzie. Going into the kitchen, he found Max sitting on the counter, eating a peanut butter sandwich.  
"I didn't know you were still here." He said, getting out some tomatoes for a salad.  
"I was waiting for dinner, but since you didn't come, I helped myself." Max pointed to the sandwich that she had just set on the counter. She jumped down and got herself a glass of milk from the fridge.  
"A peanut butter sandwich? You could've made something better."  
"No I couldn't have. Remember, I can't cook very well."  
"Right. Well, if you'll put on a pot f water, I'll make some spaghetti to go with this salad."  
"Alright." Max did as she was asked. When she turned away from the stove, Logan noticed a single tear falling down her cheek.  
"What's wrong, Max? Don't cry." He took her hand in his.  
"Why are we acting so normal, when we're so close to getting McKenzie back?"  
"I don't know. How is it that there were times during the past six years that we were able to act so normal, when we had absolutely no clue as to where McKenzie was? Now we have a small clue, and Rory loved her like a brother, so he'll help go after her. We'll have her back soon."  
"What if she doesn't want to come live with us? What if Zack finds out we know, and takes her away again? What..."  
"Shh, Max, calm down. Come on." He turned the stove off then led her to the living room. Logan made Max sit on the couch, by now she was crying uncontrollably. Logan got onto the couch beside her and hugged her close, tears streaming down his face to. They sat there rocking and crying for a long time.   
After they both stopped crying, an eerie silence filled the room. They still sat in each others arms, each in their own thoughts. The silence was finally broken by Max's stomach growling. She took her arm from around Logan and put a hand on her stomach, smiling.  
"Well, I guess it's time for that spaghetti, or at least my stomach thinks so!" Logan laughed and they returned to the kitchen in happier spirits. Soon, they had a meal on the table and were eating, like it was old times. That night, as Max fell asleep in Logan's guest room, she thought of the day, and how she hadn't felt happier in a long time. She still missed McKenzie a lot, but after today, things looked brighter. She was even thinking of moving back in with Logan.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
  



	8. A Place to Stay

  
  
Rory Sung stepped off the bus and looked around. This really was a small town. He was at one end, and could easily see the other. He was the only person getting off the bus at this stop, so he quickly grabbed his backpack and started walking into the town, towards what looked like a hotel. He passed a few people, only one person spoke, and that was just a quick "Buenos Dias".  
"Excuse me sir, but is this building still used as a hotel?" he asked a man who was sitting in front of the building whittling on a piece of wood. I was if the Pulse hadn't happened, nor the twentith century, for that matter. To Rory, this town looked like a small town from one of the old cowboy movies Logan had let him and McKenzie watch.  
The man gave him a look, as though he was to good to answer a tourist's question, but he answered anyway.   
"Non, senior, boarding house, two don, one across. Buenos dias." With that he pointed, then got up and walked inside the building.  
'Friendly little town.' He thought, walking in the direction the man had pointed. He passed two buildings, then turned down the ally and walked until he saw a sign that simply said 'Tourists' in English and Spanish, painted with red on a piece of wood. Down this 'street' there were some signs of the Pulse, but not many. All the streetlights were smashed out, and all the telephone poles had no wires on them. Rory hoped the cell phone Logan had lent him would work way out here, because it didn't look like he was going to use a phone any other way. He decided to try anyway, so he dug the cell phone out and dialled the number Logan had told him to call once he got there. Logan answered, but it was really hard to understand.  
"Rory? Is... you?"  
"I'm here, and I think I found a place to stay, but I don't think there are any phones."  
"Have...seen McKenzie..."  
"I can't hear you very well."  
"...Later..."  
"I'll call back" But all he got was fuzz, so he closed the cell phone and walked towards the building. Just as he got one foot on the stairs, the screen door burst open. Two giggling children ran out, chasing each other. They looked about ten or twelve years old. Rory turned and watched them run down the ally the way he came. When they had disappeared, he turned towards the door again and knocked.   
A dark haired woman came to the door. She looked like she may have had some Chinese ancestry, like him, but he wasn't sure.  
"Can I help you?" She asked, drying her hands on a dishtowel.  
"Yes. I was told this was a boarding house. I was looking for a place to stay for a few days, until the next bus comes through." He quickly told her the story he and Logan had made up. He was got off the bus to stretch his legs, and it had drove off without him.   
"The next bus going that way does not come until next week. The one going back up North will be here in three days." She told him.  
"Well, I'm not sure which one I'll take. I have to be back home in a week and a half, that's not much time for visiting my cousins when I get there. I guess I will have to go home and come back another time, and stay on the bus!"  
"The room will be a hundred dollars a night, including meals, and I trust you to pay before you leave. If you want laundry done, you will have to use the sink and hang it out back. We have had no electricity since the Pulse."  
"That's alright."  
"I'll show you around the house." Rory followed her inside. Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed there was a lot of older furniture. The house was small, but not crowded. She showed him the kitchen, den, laundry room and bathroom that were on the main floor, and then took him upstairs. At the top of the stairs was a hallway with four doors off it, and one on the end.   
"This is my room," she said, pointing to the first door. "The two on this side are the children's, and the one down here will be yours." She led him down the hall. The room was small, but it looked comfortable. There were two other doors inside the room.  
"That door leads to my room, but it is locked. This other door leads to the bathroom. It will be for your use only. The door leading from the hallway is locked so the children won't use it. They use the bathroom downstairs."  
"Thank you. This room looks very comfortable, I think I will enjoy my stay."  
"You're welcome. I'll leave you to unpack; dinner will be in about an hour. The children will be there, if you mind, I can bring yours up here."  
"That's alright. I don't mind children. And I thank you again, Ms.?"  
"McKenzie, but please, call me Jace."   
  
To Be Continued...  
  
  



	9. Meiying Aneko

This one is longer then the others, but I hope you enjoy it!  
  
After Rory had looked around the room the way Logan had taught him, he unpacked. By the time he was done, only half an hour had passed, so he sat down on the bed to think. He remembered his father once telling him that McKenzie had been given the last name of her mother's sister. Logan told him his Max's sister was named Jace, but she may have changed her name.   
'This is to weird.' He thought. 'I found Max's sister, and there are two children here. Does that mean one of the children I saw earlier was McKenzie? The other one must have been Jace's son. Logan mentioned that she had a child and was planning on naming it after Max. They must have also changed McKenzie's name.' The smells of the dinner Jace was cooking started to travel into the room, so Rory decided to go check it out. He left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen.  
"Need any help, Ms. McKenzie?" he asked. She turned away from the stove where she was stirring a pot.  
"Well, if you want you can set the table. Plates and cups are in that cupboard, and the forks are in this drawer. And I told you, call me Jace."  
"Right, sorry. How many places do you want me to set?" He went to the cupboard she had pointed to, opening it and finding blue china plates. "These are really nice plates. You use them for everyday?"  
"Yes. Set it for four, please."  
"Wow. I remember my Grandma had a setting sort of like this, and I was never allowed to touch it. It was always kept locked up." He remembered trying to open the cabinet one day, and being scolded for getting fingerprints on the glass.  
"Well, I figure plates are plates. They were meant to be eaten off of, not just sit and look pretty."  
"I agree. Where are the children?"   
"Oh, they'll be back in about ten minutes. My son knows exactly when meals will be, and is always on time." They continued talking until dinner was almost ready. Rory told her some of the story that he and Logan had made up, that he was twenty, and from Portland, going to visit some cousins in another small town near the Mexican border. Just as Jace started setting things on the table, they heard a tumble of noise coming from the front door.   
"Here they come." She said, then she yelled over the noise, "Wash your hands! I'm inspecting! It gives me a few more minutes." She explained. "If I say I'm going to inspect their hands they'll take a long time washing them, to be sure they aren't sent back."  
"Smart idea." Rory said, pouring milk into the glasses. He had just finished and put the pitcher into the icebox when they came into the room.  
"Inspection." Said Jace. Rory turned and watched as Jace looked at both sets of hands. "Alright, you may sit." Everyone sat at the table, and Jace started introducing.   
"Children, this is Rory Sung, he will be staying with us a few days. Rory, I'd like you to meet my son Max, and my niece Meiying."  
"Meiying Aneko McKenzie, pleased to meet you." The child said, offering her hand to shake. Rory took her hand.  
"Pleased to meet you, too Meiying." Rory knew right away that this was McKenzie, his childhood friend that he used to call Mac because of her initials. She hadn't changed a lot. Her hair was longer, and she wore glasses now, but she still looked a lot like she did when she was eight.   
"Hi." Said Max, his hand shooting out for the bowl of potatoes. Everyone else followed suit, talking over the meal. Both Max and 'Meiying' seemed very active and healthy.   
"Where do you go to school?" Rory asked.  
"There's a school house two streets over. Our teacher is really nice, Senior Eduardo is really fun, he's better than the teacher we had last year. I'm in grade seven. Tell me about where you're from?"  
"Whoa, slow down Meiying." Jace said, stopping her chattering.  
"Well, I'm from a city called Portland. It's a lot larger than this, and really nice, but it rains a lot."  
"Is it near Seattle?"  
"Have you been to Seattle?"  
"No. Someone was here a few weeks ago. She said she was from Seattle. Is Portland near Seattle?"  
"Well, it's near, but not close. I've never been to Seattle, but I've heard it's nice."  
"Cool, I wish you could tell me about Seattle, it sounds like a nice place to visit. I wish…"  
"Meiying, eat your dinner, it's getting cold." A voice came from the doorway behind Rory, and Meiying immediately did as she was told. He turned and saw a blond man standing there. He nodded to Rory then went to the cupboard and got a plate, and then he sat in the empty chair at the table.  
"Hi, Uncle Zack." Max said between mouthfuls.  
"Rory, I'd like you to meet my brother, Zack. Zack this is Rory, he missed the bus, so he's staying here until the next one comes along."  
"You said you're from Portland?" Zack asked, shaking his hand.  
"Yes, have you ever been there?"  
"Once or twice. It's nice. Seattle's nicer, though."  
"Yeah, I've never been there, but that's what I've heard."  
"You live in Portland, and you've never been to Seattle? How long have you lived in Portland?"  
"My whole life. This is actually the first time I've ever really been out, except for when my parents brought me down here when I was small."  
"Can I be excused?" Max interrupted, already half out of his seat.  
"Yes, Max, you can go to Meiying." As soon as the words were out of Jace's mouth, the children were gone.   
"Are there any phones around? I trine to use my cell phone earlier to call my dad and tell him what happened, but it wasn't really working."  
"No, as I said, we have no electricity. But you might try going out back, to the yard. It might work there."  
"Alright, thanks. Excuse me." Rory got up from the table and went to his room to get his cell phone. He went to the back of the building and made sure no one was around, and then dialled Logan's number. The reception was a little better, but not excellent."  
"Hello? Rory?"  
"Yup. I'm here. This can't be long, the reception's not all that good."  
"Alright, how's it going?"  
"Pretty good, I'm stuck in this really small town. Really small."  
"Have you seen McKenzie?"  
"Yes, I'm at a boarding house. It's nice. There are two children, named Max and Meiying. There sweet. Remind me of Josh and Sera." He said, talking in code and naming his brother and sister, in case anyone was listening.  
"How long...have?"  
"Pardon?"  
"How long do you have? When...next bus come in?"  
"I might take the bus that comes in three days. It will bring me home. I would have to wait a week to continue on, and by the time I visit I won't make it back to go to work. So I'll probably take the bus that leaves in three days."  
"Alright, just...careful, is Zack there?"  
"Yes."  
"Alright. I'll see...a week."  
"Alright, see you in a week."  
He closed the phone and went into the house to his room. He could hear Max and McKenzie plying in the next room. Rory sat down on the bed to think about things, and hoped he wouldn't accidentally call Meiying McKenzie. Then he would be in trouble.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  



	10. Small Town Life

Here's part 10! Wow, I didn't think it would get this long. Hope you enjoy it, and again, thanks for all the reviews!!  
Oh, the part about the wars, the Balkan War means the war in which Max's friend Theo died from, the Balkan War Syndrome. At least I thnk that was what it was called.  
So if I'm wrong, sorry. Let me know, and I'll change it.  
-egbkid  
  
The next morning, Rory woke up to sunshine on his face. 'A nice difference from Seattle' he thought. He got up and went to the window, outside Meiying and Max were chasing each other around the yard. He saw Jace come to the door and call them to breakfast, so he quickly showered and got dressed, and then went downstairs.  
In the kitchen, Meiying and Max were sitting at the table, Meiying talking at full force like the night before. Both children were eating bowls of cereal, and Jace was making toast on the small propane stove.  
"Good morning." Greeted Rory, finding a bowl in the cupboard and sitting down.  
"Good morning. I can make you some eggs or something if you like."  
"That's alright. I like cereal. You guys going to school today?"  
"Yup, we have to leave soon. School's fun." Answered Meiying. "We're learning about Pre-Pulse History."  
"Like what?"  
"Well, we have to memorize all the presidents from before the Pulse. It's hard, but not to bad. And we have to know about the wars: World War 1, World War 2, the Balkan War, you know."  
"Yeah, I remember taking all that stuff."  
"Speaking off 'all that stuff' you guys should get going, before you're late." Jace interrupted, sitting down at the table. "Wash your faces and hands, and we'll see you at lunch."   
"'Kay, bye!" Meiying got up and ran out of the kitchen with Max on her heals.   
"Whoa, slow down!" a voice came from the next room, and Zack walked in. He grabbed a piece of toast and sat down. "Morning, Jace, Rory."  
"Good morning, Zack." Rory said, getting up to rinse out his bowl. He took the bottle of milk from the table and put it in the icebox.   
"Are you going somewhere, Zack?" Jace asked, noticing he had a large backpack with him.  
"Yeah, I gotta go up to Kansas, to see Zane. He needs a hand with a few things. I won't be back for a few weeks, I have to ride my bike up there and back."  
"Well, the kids will miss you, but be careful."  
"Don't worry, I will." Zack finished his toast then stood up. He offered his hand to Rory, who stood by the sink. "It was nice meeting you, Rory. Hope you get back to Portland alright."  
"Thanks. Have a safe trip to Kansas." Then Zack left and Rory helped ace with the dishes. After the dishes were done, Jace taught Rory how to collect the eggs from the three chickens they had. He found it difficult to find the small eggs among the old toys and debris scattered around the backyard. Just before lunch, he called Logan again, but there was so much static on the line that all he could manage was that Zack had left.  
At lunchtime, Meiying and Max came home. Max was not feeling good, so Jace decided to keep him home for the afternoon. Rory still couldn't get a connection with Logan, so he decided to explore the small town. There wasn't much to see, and a lot of the locals were not very friendly. He was kind of glad he didn't live there. He like the way they talked, though. It was a mixture of English and Spanish, with an accent.   
The next day, Max was still not feeling well. Meiying ran off to school alone. Rory couldn't find much to do, so he and Max mostly sat around and read books. In the afternoon, Rory finally got a clear connection with Logan.  
"How's it going?" Logan asked.  
"Pretty good, but boring. One of the children is sick, and the other's in school."  
"McKenzie isn't sick, is she?"  
"No. The bus comes tomorrow afternoon. If Max is still not feeling well, Jace is going to take him to the doctor, but he lives in the next town. That means it will be a day trip, she will have to go with a friend who works there, and can't come back until the evening."  
"What about McKenzie? Is she going to take her too?"  
"Well, I'll be here until four or five anyway, and she'll be home around six thirty, so I don't think so, why?"  
"Maybe you can get McKenzie to come with you. She's always been gullible. Make up a good excuse and she'll get on the bus with you."  
"I can't do that!"  
"Why not? Who's going to stop you, the cops?"  
"Yeah, but don't you think they'll figure it out?"  
"But then what? This is all she knows."  
"She has absolutely no memories of Seattle?"  
"None at all."  
"We'll figure that out when you get here."  
"And she'll figure it out before we get there."  
"Rory, please. Do this for Max. She's been so sad the last six years, and now she's actually starting to decorate her old room for McKenzie's homecoming."  
"What about her own room?"  
"We were planning to leave it the way it is for a while, maybe it will trigger some memories."  
"I'll try to do what I can, but this won't be easy."  
"Thank you."  
"Yup. See you in a few days."  
"See you, and thank you." Rory closed the phone. He didn't really like Logan's plan, but it was all there was. There would be no second chances of anyone coming down to get McKenzie. And with the added bonus of Zack being away, it was as if Fate had dealt them a winning hand.  
'How am I going to do this?' he thought, going back into the house.  
  
To Be Continued...  



	11. Remember

Part 11, enjoy, but I think this is going to be the second to last part. Thakns for the reviews, hope you enjoy it.  
I should mention. The original concept for this story was nothing like it has turned out. My original plan when I strted typing was to have Max and Logan adopt another child and have McKenzie jealous or something. Somewhere in the first chapter, it took a different route.  
I think this route turned out better than the other one would have...Think so?  
-egbkid  
  
Rory got up early the next morning and found Jace in Max's room helping him get dressed. He was tired and still feeling sick, so he was struggling.   
"Need some help?" Rory asked, standing in the doorway.   
"No, I'm alright." Jace answered as she finally got Max's arm through his sweater. "I have to take Max to the doctor. I should be home around six-thirty, but the bus comes earlier. Could you watch Meiying and then drop her off at one of the neighbours before you go?"  
"Sure, no problem, I have nothing to do today."  
"Just try not to get her on the topic of Seattle or any other large city for that matter. She can go on for days, non-stop, about them. It's doubtful that she will ever get to go see one of them, so I don't want to get her hopes up by talking about them."  
"No problem." Jace picked up Max and carried him downstairs, Rory following. "Oh, here, in case you may need this, I'll pay you now. Thanks for letting me stay here." He dug out three hundred dollars from his pocket and gave it to her. "You're a great cook, if I meet anyone coming this way, I'll tell them to stop."  
"Thank you. I don't have time to cook breakfast today, so can you guys..."  
"Don't worry, we'll be alright. I know your drive is waiting. It was really nice meeting you, and I hope to see you again someday."  
"Thank you!" Jace said, carrying Max out the door, he had fallen asleep on her shoulder.  
"No, thank you. Bye!" Outside, Rory was playing the happy guest, but inside he was feeling like a jerk because of what Logan had asked him to do later that day. He went back to the kitchen and sat down at the table, thinking. Before he knew it, Meiying was standing beside him.  
"Rory? Where are Aunt Jace and Max?"  
"Max is still feeling sick. He had to go to the doctor's. Your aunt Jace asked me to take care of you until she gets back. Why don't you go get dressed, and I'll make you some breakfast, then we'll play a game or something."  
"Alright." She ran upstairs and was back by the time Rory had the cereal, milk and bowls on the table. They ate their cereal, then did the dishes and gathered the eggs, then sat back down at the table.  
"So, why do you live with your Aunt, Meiying?"  
"Well, my mother died when I was a baby." She answered, adjusting her glasses.  
"What about your father."  
"I don't know. But the way they try to keep me off the subject of Seattle, I think he lives there."  
"They?"  
"Aunt Jace and Uncle Zack. Sometimes Uncle Zane comes to visit too, but I haven't seen him in a while."  
"Cool, your mom must have had lots of brothers and sisters."  
"I think there are thirteen altogether. My mother's name was Max; my cousin is named after her. Then there's Jace, Zack, Zane, Krit, Syl, and Jondi. Oh, and Tinga and Ben, but they died a long time ago. And there are four more, but I can't remember their names."  
"Wow, your mom has a big family."  
"Yeah."  
"What about your dad?"  
"They never talk about him. I guess they don't want me to know about him for some reason, but sometimes…"  
"Sometimes what?"  
"Sometimes, I feel as if I have met him, like I used to live with him or something."   
"Maybe you have."  
"Maybe. What about your parents?"  
"My father is a detective. I don't remember my mother that much, she died when I was small, too."  
"Cool, so we're sort of the same, then."  
"Yeah, we are. I have to go home to see my father today."  
"You are? You are going to Portland?" Meiying started to get excited.  
"Actually, I'm going to Seattle first."  
"Oh! I wish I could go with you! I don't like living here! Please take me with you!" Rory got up and went to the fridge to get a drink.  
"But I thought you grew up here, and loved it."  
"I just say that to make Aunt Jace and Uncle Zack happy. They think I adore school too, but I hate it. I have no friends but Max, and he won't even talk to me sometimes. It's because I talk different. I don't fit in."  
"You don't?"  
"No. Everyone who lives here has a funny accent, and speak half Spanish. I know Spanish, but I still don't have the accent. Even Max has it, and he's younger than me."  
"But you grew up here."  
"No I didn't!"  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I do. Take me back to Seattle, Rory, help me find my Papa and my Mama!"  
"You remember?" Rory asked, amazed. He sat back down.  
"Who are you, really?"  
"First, tell me. What do you know about your Mama and your Papa?"  
"Just a minute." Meiying got up and went upstairs. Rory could hear her rummaging around in her room. She came back with a newspaper clipping. "This. I found it one day, in a newspaper Uncle Zack brought. It was about four years ago. That's when I remembered everything. Rory? What did Aunt Jace say your last name was?"  
"Sung."  
"I remember you. You were one of my best friends." Rory took the newspaper article from Meiying and looked at it. It was dated two years after she had been taken, and from Seattle. There was a picture of her and Logan, and a bit about what had happened, and who to contact if she was seen."  
"How did you get this without Zack and Jace knowing?"  
"I can't remember, but I know it wasn't to hard."  
"So how much do you remember?"  
"I remember we lived up high, like the twentieth floor or something. I remember Mama and Papa, decorating for my eighth birthday party. I remember three years before, Mama had come back, she had been gone my whole life. I remember going to school and my friends Michael and Michelle, and I remember you. You called me Mac, because my name was, is McKenzie Alexandria Cale. Mama gave me the name McKenzie because she was with Aunt Jace when I was born."  
"I remember your eighth party. We showed up, Dad and me, and Max was practically hysterical. You were missing, and no one knew what to do."  
"I remember Uncle Zack snuck in my window, and put a cloth over my face, the next thing I remember was being here. They told me I had been in a coma for a month, that I had been in an accident and I was o confused they said I had amnesia. Take me back to Seattle, Rory. Please. I miss Mama and Papa so much."  
"Alright. We have to make a plan, so Zack and Jace don't know where you are, but first I have to make a phone call."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Home

This is it, hope you enjoy it.  
  
  
"Girl, you're my Angel, you're my darling Angel,  
Closer than my peeps, you are to me..."  
  
Two hours later, Rory and Meiying had their plan ready. The bus was supposed to come at five, but Meiying said it never got in until about twenty after, so that bought them some time. Rory was going to drop Meiying off at a neighbour's house at about quarter to five. She would then go outside with the neighbours seven children and start up a game of hide and seek, which was their favourite game. She was the oldest, so she would make one of the younger children be 'it' and help the rest hide, like she normally did when they played. Meiying then would run and hide. Instead of hiding, she was going to run and catch he bus with Rory. Rory had papers that Logan had sent with him to get her on the bus without trouble, and for a cover-up from the neighbours, Meiying was going to run up to him just as the bus pulled in to hug him and say goodbye. The bus would pull away and she would have already left to continue the game. She was short enough to get on the bus without being seen in the windows by the neighbours.   
Rory and Meiying would then take the bus to LA and stay there for three days; he would have to buy some clothes for her with the money Logan gave him, because she would have to leave everything behind. After three days in LA, they would take a train to Portland and stay two more days, and then Logan and Max would drive down and pick her up. Rory would stay in Portland two more days when he would call the cell phone he 'left' behind, ask how everyone was doing and say the phone had to be disconnected, but Max and Meiying could keep it to play with. He would then take the bus home to Seattle.  
As they waited the afternoon away, Rory and Meiying talked and packed his things. He set the cell phone on the dresser. At about twenty to five, he went downstairs to the kitchen, where Meiying was writing a note to Jace, saying where she was going to be.   
"Are you ready to go, Meiying?" Rory asked, as she signed her name.  
"Rory?" she set the pencil down on the table, looking at the signature.  
"Yes?"  
"Call me McKenzie."  
"Alright, let's go, McKenzie."  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Three Days Later, Los Angles  
  
"Are you sure nobody saw me get on the bus?"  
"McKenzie, it was days ago, if anyone saw you get on the bus, Zack and Jace would be here by now, looking for you. Don't worry. It's time to get everything packed to go to Portland anyway."  
Their plan had gone well, only one of the children wanted to follow McKenzie around, so she almost missed her chance to get to the bus stop. She finally got him hidden just as they heard the counter shout she was coming. The bus drove up right then, so McKenzie ran out of her hiding spot and gave Rory a hug as it pulled up. They both then quickly got on the bus and it took off, because there was no one else in sight.   
They had spent their three days in LA mostly in the dirty hotel that they had rented. They went out once for shopping, and for meals at a small diner across the street, under the story that they were half-siblings and he was escorting her from their mother's house to her father's house.   
The train station was only a five-minute walk from the hotel, so Rory settled their bill and they went for one more meal in the diner. The cook was really good, and the owner a nice older woman who treated them both like they were her own. After lunch, they walked down to the station and got on a train for Portland. Rory had talked to Logan once since they left, and he had said Max was ecstatic about McKenzie's homecoming. Since she had remembered everything, Max had decided to move back into Logan's and remake McKenzie's old room instead of keeping it the old way. McKenzie couldn't wait to get home. It had been five years since she remembered her parents, five years to long. McKenzie fell asleep to the rocking of the train, thinking. Two more days…  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Two Days Later, Portland  
  
"Mama and Papa are coming today, Rory! They'll be her in two hours!"   
"McKenzie!" She was jumping on the bed of another cheep hotel. "Come on, that bed is going to break! It looks like it's from before the Pulse!" She jumped off the bed, landing on the floor with a loud thump.   
"Rory, do you know how to braid?"  
"No, why?"  
"Here, I'll show you." She grabbed a handful of her long dark blond hair and started braiding. An hour later, Rory caught on.  
"So now what?" he asked.  
"Now you can braid my hair. My arms are too short to braid it in the back, so can you? Please?"  
"Alright." He laughed. She ran to the backpack Rory had bought her and pulled out a ribbon.  
"Here, use this too."  
"Where did you get this?" he asked, as she sat on a chair and he started braiding.  
"I bought it yesterday, when we were out getting a gift for Mama and Papa." He braided her hair down the back. It wasn't very tight or strait, but she liked it. Then McKenzie changed into a clean shirt and pair of jeans and cleaned her glasses. She came out of the bathroom and looked at Rory.  
"How do I look?"   
"Great! And they should be here soon."  
"Oh no! What if they look at me and think I look silly, and decide to send me back with Aunt Jace! What if they don't like me, it's been six years!"  
"Mac! Sit down. Don't worry!" She was still standing in the middle of the room looking worried, so Rory picked her up and set her on the bed. "Now sit here and read until they get here. Don't worry, they have always loved you and always will love you."   
"I know. I'm sorry."   
"It's alright." McKenzie picked up the book and tried to read, but couldn't. She kept looking at the clock.  
"They're an hour late," she finally said. "What if they changed their minds, and decided to leave me here."  
"McKenzie, don't worry. They'll get here. They probably got caught at a checkpoint."  
"You're right." About ten minutes later, they heard a knocking at the door. Rory got up from where he was reading and went over to it. McKenzie sat on the bed, frozen, the book in her lap.   
"Calm down, McKenzie. Don't worry." He turned and opened the door, then went outside. Max and Logan were there, Max looking as nervous as McKenzie. He turned to Logan. "She's inside, on the bed. She's really scared and nervous, though."  
"So is Max." Logan said, glancing at her.  
"Max, why don't you go in first. Logan and I will come in in a few minutes."  
"Ok, but..."  
"Don't worry, Max." Logan said, taking her hand and putting it on the doorknob. She went inside slowly. A couple of seconds later, they heard tears coming from the room.   
"Are you ready?" Rory asked.  
"As ready as I'll ever be." Logan replied. Rory put a reassuring hand on Logan's shoulder, then they went inside. When McKenzie saw Logan, she let go of Max and ran to him.  
"Papa!" she shouted, throwing herself on him. He gathered her in his arms, crying.  
"We're together again. And nothing will ever separate us. I promise."  
  
The End  
  
Music: Words at the beginning of part one from "Gangster's Paradise" by Coolio  
Words at the beginning of part twelve from "Angel" by Shaggy  
  



End file.
